Dolgeville Central School District

Local business owner and florist Suzanne DeLude led students in a day of floral design at a recent Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Honors Program event as she told participants about her journey to becoming a designer and business owner.

“Students learned about the many skills involved in becoming a florist, from secondary school possibilities, job experiences and trade knowledge to the financial and business skills necessary to run a floral business,” Herkimer BOCES Honors Program Coordinator Deborah Schoff said. “They also heard about the time commitments and learned about the people the flower industry affects and the lives it touches.”

The Floral Design Herkimer BOCES Honors Program event took place on March 19 at the Herkimer BOCES Gateway Center in Herkimer. Students in grades 9-12 from Central Valley, Dolgeville, Herkimer, Little Falls, Mount Markham, Owen D. Young and West Canada Valley attended.

“Suzanne guided participants step by step through the process of creating a spring arrangement,” Schoff said. “The final products were amazing.”